Sheet i



i. C. FRENCH.

TRENCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION MED ocT. 2

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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J. C. FRENCH.

TRENCHING MACHINE.

APPucATnoN FILED ocT. 25. |915A Fmened mw. l5, 19M? 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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J. C. FRENCH. TRENCHING MACHINE.

n (n w l my APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1915. I v a I m; .f mamma@ 10.1%.,

.|. C. FRENCH A nTHENCHING MACHINE APPLICAHON msn ocT. 25. 1915.

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5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

" nal section. on line l--flin Fig. 2.

fie fi @lil JAMES 0;. FRENCH, OF KENUSlll-ji, WVSCNSKN, ASSZGNH, T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIEN, 03E

TRENCHNGJltUtCIl-NE.

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Specification of Le tters l'atent.

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To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that ll, Jiri/ins France, a

citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Kenosha, Wisconsin, have invent ed a certain new and useful improvement in Trenching-Machines, of 'which the following visa specification. Y

My invention relates to excavators for entting trenches, and more particularly to those having traction devices which support the machine in the trench, whereby the creava tor travels in the trench behind the trenchcutter which is located at the forward end thereof.

Generally stated, the object of iny invention is to provide a. novel and ei'hcient excavator of the foregoing general character, adapted for cutting trenches for any desired purpose.

A special object is to provide an excavator of this kind in which the traction devices are quite narrow, being of less width than the ti'eiic cutter, and having means for engag ing the sides of the trench to holdthe rnachine upright during the operation thereof, whereby the weight of the machine is mate rially reduced, and whereby the handling of the machine is facilitated during the opera tion thereof in the trench, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

lt is also an object to provide certain de tails and features of construction and combi-- nations tending to increase the general eiliciency and desirability of a. ti'eiiching,l inachine of this particular character. To the foregoing and other useful ends iny' invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an excavator embodying'the principles of iny'invention. Fig, 2 is a plan of said excavating,r machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudilig. 5 is an enlarged`vertical transverse section on line SM5 in Fig. l. G is a sii'nilar section ci: line (5-6 in Fig. l. 7 is a. hor ontal section on line L in lfig. 3. Fig, 8 a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the iethod of cutting a trench' and then turnthe machine around While still iii the found at the end of said trench.

as thus illustrated, my invention coni prises a bodv A mounted upon caterpillar E which isv narrower than the'said body, and which is considerablyI narrower than the trench cut by the trench-cutter C at the forward end of said body. A steering wheel l) has a swivel al at the rear end of said body, whereby this Wheel can be swung laterally about a vertical. axis 'to change the course oi' direction of travel of the machine. This steering wheei is controlled by worin gearing,f E, of any suitable character, operated by a hand-Wheel e disposed conveniently at the rear end of the platform of said body. The said tiench-ciitter C comprises a pair of horizontal beams c which are pivoted at li to tilt about a horizontal axis, this asis being in the forni of a transverse shaft slipported by the upright frame at the forward end of the body. rlrananierse shafts l and are mounted in bearings on the underside of the beanie c, and a frame 3 is hung on the said shafts, this frame being provided with a transverse shaft 45.- at the lower end thereof, it being; observed that said frame is il shaped when viewed troni the side. The

endless sprocket chains 5 travel over thev sprockets 6, l and tl, on said shafts l, 2 and fi, and are provided with buckets 9 in any siiita ble lnioivn or approved forni, each bucket being adapted to discharge its load while traveling, horizontally from the sprockets 7 to the sprockets 6, and being' adapted to out the ground and take iip a load of dirt While traveling upward at the forward side of said frame. ,Rolls l() are mounted on said frame 3 to bear against the sprocket chain 3 at the forward side of said frame, thereby forming a backing for the sprocket chains and buckets While the latter are being forced forward into the ground at the end of the trench. shield ll is disposed immediately back of this trench-cutter, beingsupported by side bars l2 at its lower end portion, which bars are suitably mounted on the bcarings of the shaft 4 at the lower end of the frame. This shield ll is as Wide as the trench, is curved forward at its upper and .lower ends, and carries loose dirt forward,

'until taken iip by the buckets, whereby 'the bottoni or floor of the trench is left clean and free from loose dirt. A transverse conveyer 13 is disposed iniiinediately under the horizontal path of the buckets, and in position to catch the discl'iarge therefrom, Wherebv the dirt is discharged. at one side of the trench andvleift in a. ridge or enibanliinent,

illtl -This shaft 18 is driven from an electric motor, or other suitable source of power 19 on the body, through the medium of the spur gearing 2() and the beveled' gearing 21, which gearing may be of any suitable form or character. In this way the trenclicutter is operated by the source of power carried on the body of the machine. The shaft 2 is suital'ily connected by gearing 22 and a sprockethelt with'the outer end of the conveyor 13, whereby the latter is also driven from the shaft F which serves as an axis about which the trench-cutter is raised and lowered by a tilting motion thereof. For the purpose of thus raising and lowering the trench-cutter. the rear ends of the beams c are provided with a swiveled and internally threaded sleeve 2l which engages a vertically disposed screw the latter mounted in a bearing 26 which is swiveled on the shaft 27, and which latter is driven from the shaft 18 through the medium of suitable gearing. Beveled gearing 28 connects the lower endy of the screw`25 with the shaft 27, and in this way the beams c can be tilted about'their axes when it is desired to raise and lower the trench-cutter. lt will be understood thataany suitable. arrailgement or means can be employed for 'enabling the attendant or operator to rotate the screw 25 ineither direction at, will.

The shaft 18 is gear connected with a transverse shaft 29 and the latt a' is in turn connected by a sprocket belt 30 with a transverse shaft 31 on the bottom of the body trame. li`loni`tliis`sliaft 31 a sprocket belt 32 extends to the rear end of thel caterpillar,

Ae-'hereby the latter is driven from thesource ot' power loeatedronthe body ot theI machine.

As the caterpillar B is'quite narrow, as previously explained, some means must he provided for insuring the stability ot' the machine, by preventing it from tipping over sidewise. while operating in the trench. For this' purpose, a pair ot shoes or runners and ll are arranged at opposite sides of the inaehine and disposed in position to engage, the sides ot' the trench near the top thereot."

'lhese shoes or runnersl are mounted on the ends of thc transversely arranged screws y and lf., the latter being mounted in bearings 32S and Jil on the body frame. These screws are provided with threaded sleeves iirt'he forni of worm wheels and 3G. and these wheels are arranged to engage the worms 37 and 38 on'the forward ends of the handwheel shafts 39 and l() which latter extend longitudinally of the body frame and are supported in'suitable bearings thereon. The rear ends of these shafts 3D and l0 are provided with hand-wheels l1 and l2 for the rotation thereof, and with this arrangement the shoes or runners G and H can be adjusted toward and away from each other. de pending upon the conditions, thereby to maintain the machine upright. Thus the machine ltravels not only on the bottom o r floor of the trench, but also slides along the Sides of the trench, being held upright by these runners or other suitable means for engaging the vertical sides of the trench. l'n this connection it will also be seen that the frame, or yoke I ot' the rear steering wheel l) is provided at opposite sides thereof with rollers z' which also engage and travel upon the sides of the trench. ln this way, and when the hand-wheel e is rotated, the wheel D is skewed about its steering axis J, but the wheel ,is maintained practically iu the center of the trench b v the rollers 1', thus causing the rear end of the body .i to be shifted to either side ot' the trench.

A machine of the foregoing construction and inode of operation may be employed lor various purposes. It may he used t'or making ditches for drainage purposes, or it may be used in the construction oi trenches tor military purposes. trench is cut which is as wide as the trciich-cutter.'but plz-ictirallv the balance ot' the machine is much narrower than the trench-cutter` thereby reducing thc weight and also facilitating the handling ol the. rmachine in the trench. This is especially true in changing the direction of travel ofthe. excavator. and with the construction showna machine can be turned around in the ground at the end of the trench, by a series of operations involving first going ahead and then backing up. as indicated in Fig. S, in a manner which will be readily understood. Obviously, however. the machine can be handled or nuinipulated in various ways` depending upon the comlition and the results desired, and l do not limit myself to any particular mode of operation or method of use.

As a matter oi further and special improvemeut` the beveled gearingr 2S may be provided with a suitable clutch, in the usual and well known manner, for reversing the rotation olf the screw 25. Also, and as shown in Fig. 2, the shaft l is provided with a clutch i3 for reversing the rotation of this shaft when such is necessary or desirable. This` shaft is provided with a pinion l2 which engages the gear wheel ll.ou shaft 27, and which engages the gear wheel inea-,37o

on shaft, 29, the latter gear wheel having a' clutch 4:6 to open and close connection between it and said shaft. The gear wheel /i on shaft 29Vhas a clutch 48 to open and ciose connection between it and said shaft, and this gear wheel 'engages a pinion 49 on the shaft 50, which latter is also mounted in suitable bearings on the body frame. The shaft 29 has a sprocket wheel 51 tor the sprocket chain 30, and the shaft has a sprocket wheel 52 for the sprocket chain 53 which extends around a sprocket' 54 on 'the shaft '27, in the manner shown. lilith this arrangement the caterpillar B can beoperated at high speed while the machine is traveling along the road from one place to another, through clutch 43 to the pinion 42, from the latter to the gear Wheel flo, and then through sprocket 5l and chain 30 to shaft 31, and from the latter to the caterM pillar. Then the vmachine is in operation, however, ra slower speed is required, and in such case clutch 46 is open and clutch i8 is closed, whereby the transmission is then from shaft 18 through pinion a2 to gear wheel 4l, then through shaft 27 and pinion 54 and sprocket chain 53 to sprocket wheel 52, then through shaft 50 to pinion t9 to gear wheel 47, thus rotating shaft 29 at a much slower speed than wstore. .During this forward feeding ot the machine to prcduce the excavating operation,v the clutch `55, on the shaft 27, is, of course, in middle' position, being an ordinary jawclutch, sothat adjusting screw 25 does not rotate. However, and by shifting this clutch 55 one way or the other, the double gearing 28 can be operated, in a manner that will be readily understood to instantly rotate the screw 25 in either direction. Then sprocket chain 11i', leads to a sprocket wheel on the shaft 18, which sprocket wheel is controlled by an ordinary jaw clutch 5'?, whereby the trans' mission of power to the excavating buckets can be more eiieetively and conveniently controlled. at will., l

As previously stated, the transmission of power from the cutter to the various operative elements, and the control olf such transmission can be accomplished in any suitable or desired manner, and broadly considered, my invention is not limited to any particular means for so doing. But the arrangement of gears, clutches, etc., last described, or some 'equivalent arrangement, is thought to be practical and e'liective for this purpose. But l do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and. described.

As shown in Fig. l3 the caterpillar B is provided at its forward end with flange couplings 58 which are mounted on the ends of the forward shaft of said caterpillar, whereby the wheels 59, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, can be connected to said shalt in the manner shown. 1n this way and when the said wheels 59 are in place, the machine is adapted to travel on the surface of the ground andis held by said wheels against tipping over sidewise. bviously, any snitable means can be employed for this pur pose. When the machine is in operation, as shown in the drawings, the wheels 59 are not in use, having been removed before the machine enters the trench.

l/ihat i claim as my invention is:

l.. An excavating machine comprising a trench-cutter, a body for supporting said trench-cutter in position for operation in the ground, traction devices traveline,- in the trench to support` said bodyy therein, and .means for engaging the sides of the trench to hold the machine upright.

2. An excavating machine comprising a ytrenclrcutter, a 'body for supporting said "trench-cutter in position for operation in 'the ground, traction devices traveling in the trench to support said body therein, and. ineans for engaging the sides of the trench tohold the machineupright, said means including shoes which bear against the sides the trench. and manually. 'operated worin gearing for adjusting said. shoes.

An excavating machine, comprisiri` a. ranch-cutter, a body tor supporting said trench-cutter in position for operation in the ground, traction devices traveling in the trench to support lsaid body therein, and means for engaging the sides of Athe trench tol hold the machine upright, said devices being narrower than said body, and a steering wheel at the rear end ci seid body.

et. An excavating machine comprising a trenchrutter, a body for supportina1 said ;i'enclic\itter in position for operation in the ground, traction devices traveling; in the trench to snpport said body therein, and ineens ior 'engaging the sides oi" the trencl'i. ,to hold the machine upright, said trenchcutter including' an endless series of but. ts ised at the forward end of said body, said body and devices being narrower than. buckets, and in is for shitting the end ot' said body to change the direction of travel of said machine in the trench. A

5. in excavating machine comprising a trench-cutter, a body for supporting said trenchcutter in position t'or operation in the ground, traction. devices travelinga in the trench to support said body therein, and means ior engaging sie sides ot the trench to hold the machine upright, said body having a steering mechanism at the rear end thereof, which mechanism includes a wheel Y to engage the bottom of the trench, means to swing,V said wheel about a 'vertical steering' axis, and rollers at opposite sides of said. wheel to engage the sides oit' the trench.

6. An excavating machine comprising a nic trench'cutter, a body ior supporting said 130 ,at ff trench-cutter in position for operation in 4'the flround traction devices travelino in the e i i;

trenclrcutter .in position for operation in.

the ground, tractiondevices traveling in the trench to support said body therein, and means ier engaging the sides of the trench to hold the machine iipright, mechanism to' raise and lower said trench-cutter, relative to said body, and a motor and power-transmitting connections to operate said devices and trench-cutter and mechanism, carried on said body.

8. .An excavating machine comprising a trench-cutter, a body for supporting said trench-cutter in position for operation in the gri'iund, 'traction devices traveling in the.

trench to support said body therein, and incans for engaging the sides of the trench to hold the machine upright, said iiieans 1n- 9. An excavating machine comprising arendi-cutter, a body for supporting said trench-cutter in position for operation in the ground, traction devices traveling `in the trench to support said body therein, and nicans for engaging the sides of the trench. to hold the machine upright, said devices having detachable wheels which keep the machine from falling over sideivise While traif'eling above ground.

l0. An excavating inachine comprising a trench-cutter, a body for supporting said trenchrcutter in position for operation in the ground, traction devices traveling in the trench to support said body therein, and ineans for engaging the sides of the trench to hold the machine upright, said devices including a single relatively narrow caterpillar at the front of said body, and said means being disposed directly above the front portion of said caterpillar, which latter is disposed centrally of the trench.

Signed by ine at Chicago, Ill., this 11th day of October, 1915.

Janne o. FRENCH. 

